Efflorescence
by ByeByeSky
Summary: Sasusaku Anthology; Sakura asks Sasuke to say "kawaii" and Sasuke can't help but wonder how he ended up falling for such a peculiar pink-haired woman.
1. Matchmaker

Sasuke wasn't sure what was happening.

The incomprehensible feeling in his chest and stomach was making him ill. The rapid pounding of his heart against his ribcage confused him and the flip-flop of his stomach made him want to throw up. His world was spinning and his head was starting to hurt. He could feel his neck, ears, and cheeks burning profusely, enough to make him cringe. He didn't like these sensations at all.

Two years in the village has done little to help his reputation. He is less of a traitor and more of an eerie reminder of the retched torment he himself created. His face represents the mistakes the village has made, and the regret and hardship that follows a life of corruption and evil. Sasuke has become the epitome of a failure, a lost cause, and a stranger on the road to redemption.

However, sitting on the bridge where Team 7 used to meet was hardly enough to relinquish his sudden bout of nerves. It wasn't the place itself that made his palms shine with sweat or his eyebrow twitch in annoyance, in fact, it was a pink haired medic that decided to join his training session with Naruto and Kakashi. Since his return, Sakura's presence has been far and few between. He can only place one occurrence in the past two months that he has caught a glimpse of her short form bobbing through a crowd of unfamiliar faces. It was the bouncing pink head that sent his eyes darting in that particular direction, hoping to catch just a small glimpse of her face. Unfortunately, just as she appears, she is gone again, leaving Sasuke irritated for getting his hopes up and confused as to why he cared in the first place.

Sasuke would be the last person on earth to admit he liked Sakura Haruno. Sure, she is attractive—more so than the average woman—but Sasuke's sudden obsession with his pink haired teammate is attributed to his inability to _see_ her. He feels no romantic feelings toward the girl and only enjoys her presence. Since he's been starved of her pleasurable company it is only natural that Sasuke is anxious to see her.

It all makes perfect sense.

With his feelings sorted out, he smirks, proud that he is one of the few people on earth with the mental capacity to sort out his feelings with little hesitation. He knows himself well enough to understand why his body reacts the way it does and can easily pinpoint the trigger in any given situation. Sasuke liked to think of it as a small gift from himself and his keen senses.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun, are you coming?"

A large pair of green eyes flashed a look of concern and brought Sasuke from his trance. However, the proximity between himself on the girl caused his breath to hitch and essentially halt his breathing all together. For whatever reason, he wasn't going to show just how shocked he was to see her so close to him. Her pink lips were pursed as the corners lifted in a gentle smile. Her cheeks were tinged pink and he could see a few strands of her hair sweeping across her forehead and settling on her cheekbones. He had an urge to move it, but refrained and simply closed his eyes, maneuvering his body away from Sakura in hopes of allowing his lungs to take in oxygen once again.

It took several long strides before Sasuke was able to ease the tension in his lungs by letting out a long sigh. He rubbed his temples and wanted to smack himself for acting so foolishly. As Naruto and Sakura talked idly to one another, he felt another presence approach from his side and eye him suspiciously.

"Sasuke, is something wrong? You've been acting weird all morning," the masked man spoke, his eyes scanning the orange book in his hand. Sasuke watched from the shade of a tree as Sakura laughed in response to something Naruto said. He growled in annoyance. The idiot wasn't even funny, so what is there to laugh at besides his stupid face?

"Nothing is wrong."

He could feel a pair of eyes rest on him, but he didn't care, he just wanted to know what the hell the moron was saying that Sakura deemed hilarious. Kakashi's eyes drifted to the two teammates and smiled behind the cover of the cloth over his face. Shutting the book, he nudged the raven haired teen with his elbow.

Sasuke tilted his head to look at the man, caught off-guard by the sudden elbow in his rib. Kakashi's visible eye crinkled and Sasuke suddenly regretted giving his old sensei the time of day.

"You know, if you're that concerned, you should just talk to her."

Sasuke's eyes widened and then narrowed into a glare. What did he mean by that? Sasuke was in no way troubled by anything Sakura did and for Kakashi to insinuate that he was _concerned _for her was a blatant misconception. Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and ignored the man's comment, clearly unamused by his advice. Kakashi shook his head and placed the small book into his pouch.

"Sakura!" Kakashi called, pulling out a kunai quickly and cutting along Sasuke's arm. The boy winced and backed away from the man, noticeably confused and annoyed by the sudden attack on his arm.

"What the fu—"

"Come heal Sasuke. It seems he hurt himself," Kakashi's lone eye crinkled with his hidden smile. "Clumsy kid."

Sasuke blinked, as the man walked away and just as Sakura appeared at his side, a look of worry etched on her face.

"What happened, Sasuke?" The girl's hands moved to the sleeves of his black shirt and caused the man to shy away from her touch. Turning his head, he tried to quell the rapid beating of his heart that suddenly manifested upon her arrival.

"I," he paused. "I don't know. It's not a big deal."

Sakura's head tilted in confusion, his behavior unlike anything she is used to seeing. For the years she has known him, Sasuke Uchiha was never one to be shy so this sudden onset of flustered responses and avoiding eye contact only meant one thing to Sakura: he is most definitely ill.

Using both her hands, Sakura placed her palms on each of his cheeks and turned his head to meet a surprised look. She clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth as Sasuke blinked, confused and overwhelmed by her drastic actions.

"Sakura, what are you—"

"Sasuke! You have a fever!"

Sasuke paused then grumbled something incoherent under his breath. He looked away and caught sight of a chuckling Kakashi reading his orange book and an idiot clad in the same obnoxious color ranting about his teammate's sudden proximity to one another.

"I'm fine Saku—"

"No way, Sasuke. You can't stand here and tell a doctor that you don't have a fever."

The girl was adamant of her diagnosis as she touched his forehead, causing more discomfort on the Uchiha's end. He wanted to push her away, but knows that doing so would only make her more persistent. However, his sudden instigating of his briskly beating heart was becoming unbearable. Maybe he did have a fever after all; it would explain a lot.

He touched her hands with his own and removed them from his face, Sakura shooting him an apprehensive stare. Sasuke tried to ignore the lights flashing in her impeccably green eyes.

"I'll be fine," he lifted his sleeve and shut his eyes. "Just heal my arm."

Sakura decided not to argue with the man that already seemed so troubled. Lowering her gaze to his arm, she silently healed the man, never lifting her eyes to look at the man. Sasuke watched her from the corner of his dark obsidian hues as she meticulously healed the shallow cut on his arm that his delusional teacher created.

After the wound healed and only his pale, unmarred skin remained, Sakura stood and brushed her skirt off.

"Well, there you go, Sasuke. I'll be going no—"

"Sakura," Sasuke's hand clutched her own and the girl blinked, a light pink brushing across her high cheekbones. Their eyes met, and Sakura saw stars. "Thank you."

It was her smile to his gratitude that made his heart jump and suddenly he realized that these feelings may not be so terrible after all.


	2. Raindrops On My Umbrella

Sasuke lets Sakura borrow his shirt and gets embarrassed.

"Sasuke-kun, it's really okay. I'll be fine it's just a little da—"

"Sakura," the said girl blinked toward the man whose face couldn't look at her own. "Just wear the damn shirt."

Sakura took the dry cloth from him hesitantly, eying the material before she looked at the back of the Uchiha that was suddenly unable to make eye contact with her. Sakura sighed and removed the damp shirt that managed to get soaked after her unlucky encounter with the rain. To her surprise, Sasuke was kind enough to let her into his home after seeing her noticeably pink hair heading toward him on the road. Sakura used the towel Sasuke gave her upon her arrival to dry her, now longer, hair. The shirt was a soft cotton and smelled of laundry and the faint scent of something Sakura only related to a man's smell. The black and much too large shirt made her smile as she brought the neckline to her nose and took in the aroma, knowing this was one of the many things she can only associate with Sasuke.

Sasuke glanced behind him and his eyes settled on the pinkette. She was no longer apologizing profusely for her recklessness and was instead smiling to herself with his shirt near her small, upturned nose. The teen could feel his face heat up, knowing her skin touched the same place that his own had.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke mustered the courage to turn around and look at her, his face passive as he tried his best to stop the blush from spreading to his ears. Sakura glanced at him and dropped the fabric, letting it settle on her small frame as she looked away, fiddling with the towel as she tried to think of an excuse.

"W-well, I was just wondering what kind of detergent you used!" Sasuke's eyebrow rose in question as a light pink sprinkled her cheeks in embarrassment. He had caught her. The man smirked and approached her, taking the towel from her small hands and placing it on her head.

He heard the girl gasp, as he rubbed the towel on her scalp, trying to rid the excess water and prevent it from getting all over his wooden floor. Well, that was his excuse. He just wanted to touch her (he will never admit that out loud.)

"Sasuke-kun you don't have to do that. I can do it myself," the girl said, unsure of why the Uchiha was suddenly satisfied with helping her with even the easiest of tasks. The man grunted in response, finding it unnecessary to reply. Sakura relaxed at his touch and smiled under the coverage of the cloth. Although she knew in Sasuke's mind that this wasn't considered affection, she liked to think of this as a secret act of love, even if it wasn't the case.

Sakura lifted her head and let her smile widen to a toothy grin as she looked at the man that towered over her. Sasuke could feel his chest tighten and his heart squeeze.

"Arigato, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke looked away, his face flushed.

"Oi, stop that, baka."


	3. Another Word For Cute

"Ne, Sasuke-kun I have a favor to ask you," Sakura chimed from Sasuke's kitchen. After a long day of training in the scorching heat, the two young adults were worn and sweaty. Stirring the large pitcher of lemonade in her hand, the girl turned and leaned against the counter. Sasuke was busy reading a scroll, and replied with a simple grunt.

"Say, 'kawaii.'"

There was a pause in Sasuke's movement as Sakura watched the process of the man trying to register what her request. His face was void of emotion, aside from the look of surprise that echoed in his glance. His eyes narrowed into a hardened glare, as if she just asked him to do the most outright ridiculous thing in the world. Which she just did.

"What?"

It was the only thing he could think to say. The pink haired girl must be going insane. It was definitely the heat.

Sakura laughed as she shuffled to the table Sasuke was casually kneeling at and filled his empty glass with the cold drink. No sugar added. Simple and bitter, just the way he liked it.

"It will be cute, Sasuke-kun! I've always wanted to hear you say something like that. It's so…" her words trailed off as she tried to think of the proper words to describe it. "Not like you!"

"No shit, Sakura. I'm not saying something so ludicrous."

The man scowled, the heat and the absurdity that spiraled all at once was starting to piss him off. Although he wouldn't admit it, the girl had softened his heart ever so slightly, allowing her more leeway than any female in his life. There were never many of those to begin with.

Perhaps because she was special that he started to ponder the thought of uttering the forbidden and hideous word. However, doing so would break a boundary between the two that has never been crossed. Was he ready to take such a leap?

Sakura pushed her lower lip out into a pout and sat across from him, stirring the bitter beverage as she dwelled on the rejection of her simple wish. Sasuke glanced up from the parchment to watch her. He almost scoffed, but instead let a sigh escape his lips.

"Sakura," Sasuke spoke just above a whisper. The said girl's head lifted, her pink hair sticking to her sweaty cheek. Her green eyes were incredibly vibrant even in the shade of the afternoon sun.

"Y-yes?" She didn't mean to stutter and Sasuke smirked at his opening.

Propping his elbows onto the small wooden table, he lessened the gap between the two, moving his hand to gently remove the hair from her perspiring face. A dark blush rose to her cheeks, confusion settling on her features.

"Kawaii, _Sa-ku-ra-chan"_

Sasuke almost laughed as the girl across from him squealed and hid her scarlet cheeks.


	4. Acupuncture

_Anthology 4 submitted from Anonymous on Tumblr_

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Sasuke wasn't sure why he let her convince him to do this. Sure, he was always tired. And yes, he usually is sore and exhausted after long missions where he slept little and sat idly against tree trunks or boulders. He wasn't the type to complain, he just deals with what he is given. After a long day returning home from his mission in the Wind Country, he was taken aback when Sakura appeared in his hospital room as he was getting ready to depart, taking his hand, and bringing him to some unknown place in the large hospital. At first he didn't question her, but as he lay on his stomach half naked with a towel draped across his lower half and his face in between some spongy material that made him feel trapped, he decided it was appropriate to ask questions.

"What the _hell _are you doing?" He bit out, annoyed that he was basically talking to the tiled floor instead of the girl that happily walked around the room. His tone was meaner than anticipated, but he didn't care much at the moment. He wanted to know how he ended up in this situation.

"Sasuke-kun, you've seem stressed lately. Just let me take care of you, okay?" Sakura's feet shuffled around the room, gathering the needed materials in order to perform the procedure.

"Sakura," the man growled. He didn't have time for nonsense. He just wanted to go home and sleep.

"Now, Sasuke-kun don't move otherwise you'll hurt yourself." She was much closer to him and Sasuke realized she was about to begin this mysterious procedure.

"Sakura what the fu—" As he tried to lift his head, a pair of strong hands pushed him down, interrupting him.

"Didn't I say not to move?" She asked, a hint of annoyance laced in her words. Sasuke grumbled incoherently, the face rest making it difficult for him to move his cheeks.

Several minutes passed and the only sounds were of Sakura scuffling around. He felt pressure in certain areas of his body, but other than that there were hardly any noticeable effects.

"Can I ask what you're doing now?"

"Acupuncture, silly!" there was a giggle and suddenly Sasuke felt like his life was in danger. Sakura is the top medic in her field. She specializes in several areas of study. But acupuncture? He's never heard of her doing such a thing before.

"And you know what you're doing, right?" There was a pause.

"I have directions and a chart of your pressure and chakra points. You should be fine, Sasuke-kun!"

That's it. Sasuke was about to move when a sudden pressure in his back miraculously eased the tension he was feeling in his neck for the past week. Another small bout of pressure in his arm, and his muscles no longer felt sore. After a few more minutes, Sasuke's body was relaxed and he felt _amazing._

Sasuke wasn't sure how much time passed before Sakura spoke. Sasuke only realized that when she did, he had been sleeping.

"You can get up now, Sasuke. Everything is done."

Sasuke did as he was told and sat up, the towel falling from his lower area, revealing his boxers. He looked at a blushing Sakura as she seemed to be eying his chest.

Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her towards him, pressing her against his bare chest as he let out a deep and masculine chuckle.

"Next time you scare me like that I'm going to have to punish you."

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	5. Snowy Apologies

In Konoha, the middle of December is cool, only reaching an average of forty degrees. However, the land of Snow in the middle of December is a different story. It is not only cold, but it is _unbearingly frigid. _In a small cave several kilometers east of the main village, Sakura and Sasuke huddled in their layers of clothing, each trying their best to keep warm in the freezing climate.

"S-Sasuke-kun, why d-don't you try starting a fire again?" Sakura inquired through chattering teeth. She was no longer the type of girl that dressed impractically. Unfortunately, no amount of clothing could save her from the chilly winds that tunneled through the cave and brushed her face. Her red nose and cheeks were bright from wind burn and the cold temperature. She rubbed her hands together and every so often breathed onto her palms in hopes of warming them.

Sasuke sat and glared at the girl that was sitting a few feet across from him. He had already _tried_ starting a fire. But with no dry wood in sight and constant wind destroying any remnants of a blaze, he had given up. He looked at the shivering girl and rolled his eyes.

"Sakura, grow up. It isn't that bad."

Sakura looked from her chapped hands to Sasuke as he sat with his arms across his chest. The only thing that told her he is cold is the tinge of pink on his nose. Other than that he gave no outward sign of how he felt. Typical.

"Well _sorry_ if I show that I'm cold," she bit out. "I mean, it's not like it's snowing or anything."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed further at her sarcastic tone. He wasn't in the mood to deal with her anger or snarky attitude. They wouldn't even be in this mess if Sakura hadn't started a fight with two ninjas from the Snow Village. Hence part of their reason for staying in a cave instead of a comfortable hotel.

"Stop complaining. It's your fault we are here anyway."

There was no denying that Sasuke wasn't annoyed about their situation, and Sakura acting dramatic just made his mood dampen. The pinkette gawked at his response, her mouth open in shock as she registered what the man said.

"My fault?" she hollered. "How the hell is this _my _fault?! You're the one that made them come after us in the first place! If you hadn't picked a fight with them in the tea shop we wouldn't be here—"

"Sakura, stop being annoying and drop it!" Sasuke yelled, anger in his voice. Sakura became quiet as her face contorted from one of fury to one that showed Sasuke the extent of his words. Sakura bit her lower lip and turned her back to him, offended and hurt. Sasuke sighed. He didn't have time to deal with her hysterics. He was cold, hungry, and annoyed at the entire situation, whether he blamed the girl or not.

It took four days for Sakura to utter a word to Sasuke. After finally managing to get a hotel the day after their stay in the cave, the two split the room in half, Sasuke took the small loveseat while Sakura took the only bed in the room. When Sasuke decided that her muteness was going to jeopardize the mission, he made the executive decision as team captain to confront her.

"Sakura," he spoke. The girl continued scribbling on a piece of parchment at the small desk in the room as though she hadn't heard him. "You not talking is going to cause us to fail the mission. Stop being stubborn and communicate."

The girl stopped and placed the pen she was using down. Looking over at him, Sasuke wasn't sure what to think when her incredibly green eyes seemed to pierce his soul. He also became uncharacteristically nervous when she approached him and wrapped her arms around his neck, her face so close to his own.

"What are you doing?" He managed to say with a straight face, unsure of what think when she stared into his eyes. Sasuke had to keep himself from shifting uncomfortably when she didn't respond. Her face became closer and Sasuke's body wouldn't dare move to push her away.

"Apologize," she whispered, her breath fanning over his lips. Sasuke became confused.

"For wha—"

The girl pulled at his locks and Sasuke grunted. She was toying with him.

"You know what. Now say you're sorry and maybe I'll talk to you again."

Sasuke stared into her vibrant eyes and grumbled. He didn't see a need to apologize. He kept silent and Sakura understood that it is his way of saying he refused. Frowning, the girl let the man go and shook her head before moving toward the only bathroom in the room. She was disappointed that he didn't have the decency to comprehend that he had hurt her feelings and it seems her "silent treatment" had little effect on him. Sakura sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Sasuke can be frustrating.

"Whatever, Sasuke."

Sasuke noticed the disappointment and sadness in her voice. He recognized that she was hurt and it bothered him. It took him days of silence to realize that he missed her smile and charm. She is Sakura Haruno and she is the only girl that can get close to him and make him feel anything.

Sasuke grabbed her hand as she went to open the bathroom door. As she turned to look at him, Sasuke pulled and caused her to pivot into his chest. She was short compared to his almost six foot stature.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

He could feel the heat radiating from her cheeks as she pressed her hands against his shirt.

"I forgive you, Sasuke-kun."

With Sakura against him, it is the warmest Sasuke has felt since he's been in the damn Snow Country.


	6. The Talk

It all started when Kakashi caught Sasuke giving Sakura _the look_.

It is the look that is mentioned one too many times in his perverted novels that he carries with him. It is one Kakashi himself can't say he personally uses often, considering his taste in women is incredibly particular. Although Naruto was always known to be more open with his perverted thoughts with a sensei like Jiraiya, Sasuke was a different story. When the stoic Uchiha starts to show his emotions, Kakashi knew it was time for _the talk._

"Naruto, Sasuke, come here for a second."

It was after training and the two teens were calmly putting their weapons away, sweat pooling on their foreheads and trailing down their tanned skin. It was a hot day and the sparring was particularly longer than usual. Kakashi eyed the pink-haired girl as she continued to pick up the weapons that scattered the grass of the familiar training field. When he confirmed she was preoccupied, he cleared his throat and looked at the two men that were rapidly growing to his own height.

"I think it's time we talk about some things," Kakashi spoke, rubbing the back of his neck. There was no way he could avoid this kind of talk with the two males on his former squad. They both lack father figures and who else is to tell them than the only man they have ever looked up to? This is why Kakashi refuses to reproduce.

"What's up Kakashi-sensei? You look kinda pale, man." Naruto stated bluntly as he tied his orange jacket around his waist.

"I think it's time you learn about," he paused, unsure of the fatherly lingo he was supposed to be using at the moment. "The birds and the bees."

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged glances and then let their eyes settle on their sensei, waiting for him to continue. Kakashi sighed.

"You're getting to the age where women are suddenly," the gray-haired man thought of the words in his pocket-sized notebook. "Much prettier than you thought possible."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and Naruto looked shocked.

"W-what do you mean? Will I get a pretty girl, Kakashi-sensei?!"

Kakashi rubbed his temples as the blonde was too moronic to comprehend what he was talking about. Even Sasuke seemed clueless as to what he was trying to portray. This is incredibly frustrating.

"No, Naruto. What I mean is that girls will suddenly appeal to you more and because we are men, our bodies react to these," Kakashi coughed. "Noticeable differences."

The two boys were even more confused as they declared silently that Kakashi is delusional.

"Since we are men it is our duty to take pride in this change but also be aware of our actions and the importance women play in our lives." Kakashi almost scoffed at his own statement. Now he was pulling some sort of fake grandeur out of his ass.

"Kakashi, what the hell are you trying to say?" Sasuke asked, annoyed.

The Uchiha is growing impatient. He is hot and tired and not in the mood for his stuttering buffoon of a teacher rambling about things that didn't make any sense to him.

Kakashi sighed once more, knowing this was going nowhere. People would think he would be an expert in the field of love and teenage hormones, but his experience comes from the books that make him blush and giggle in his spare time. This kind of sex talk is torture.

"Alright listen. You're growing up. Girls get prettier and you guys start to feel some weird stuff going on with your bodies. These things called hormones suddenly kick into overdrive and make you go insane. Don't have sex with a girl unless you mean it and she is important to you. I'll kick both of your asses if you start getting girls pregnant. Do we understand each other?"

Naruto and Sasuke's eyes were wide by Kakashi's outright statement. Unsure of how to process it, they were left gawking and Kakashi shaking his head. They truly were naïve, despite the things their young eyes have witnessed.

"Ne, guys!" A familiar feminine voice reached their ears and broke the shock. All three men turned and watched as Sakura jogged towards them, sweat soaking her clothes and causing them to cling to her form.

Sasuke felt a rise in temperature as his cheeks turned a rosy color while Naruto looked away. Kakashi shook his head.

"These kids will be the death of me."

Sakura tilted her head in confusion.

"Hey, why are you all blushing?"


End file.
